Machines for vending balls have been disclosed such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,108 to Knez et al which is hereby incorporated as reference in this specification. Knez discloses an apparatus for discharging a fixed number of golf balls, having an inclined floor of tracks formed by a number of parallel rods extending in the direction of inclination. The distance between the rods is less than the diameter of the golf balls so that the rods form parallel tracks on which a number of balls are positioned. A lower section of the floor of tracks pivots on an axis parallel to the lower edge of the floor such as to separate the lowest ball on each track located on the lower pivoting track section from the column of balls on the upper end of the track. The balls on the lower pivoting section of the tracks are retained in an L-shaped bar which rotates about an axis that extends along the corner of the L shaped bar, the pivoting floor section and L-shaped bar forming a cradle for directing the lower row of balls into the chute while the cradle is rotating. An arch surface attached to the L shaped bar maintains the upper column of balls on the track while L shaped bar is rotating to discharge the lowest ball.
The Knez patent also shows an elongated brush that helps to align the balls on the tracks prior to their entry, one row of balls at a time, into the cradle.
The pivoting cradle empties a row of balls into a chute that directs the balls into a bucket.